Duterte ordered an excavator to destroy a total of 122 smuggled two wheelers, including bikes from manufacturers like Triumph, BMW and Harley Davidson.

Excavator destroying motorcycles. (Image: YouTube screengrab)

Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte is a controversial figure as far as his political speeches are concerned. But he has a strong take on smuggling and illegal activities by smugglers, as evident by his recent actions. To counter illegal activities undertaken by smugglers, Duterte destroyed half a million dollars worth of fancy-and illegally-imported-motorcycles.

As per a report, Duterte ordered an excavator to destroy a total of 122 smuggled two wheelers, out of which 100 were premium motorcycles, including bikes from manufacturers like Triumph, BMW and Harley Davidson. The total worth of all the motorcycles is estimated at $640,000 (Rs 43 Crore in today’s exchange rate).

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While illegally recovered or stolen vehicles are generally auctioned off to raise funds for the police department, Filipino president went a step ahead to get rid of the vehicles, sending a strong message to the smugglers and their illegal activities.
Rodrigo Duterte is a motorcycle enthusiast himself and was not happy to see a Harley-Davidson cruiser getting crushed under the excavator. “When the excavator crushed the Harley it’s like I also got hit in my neck. What a waste,” he said.

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The Philippines government is known for taking such strong and unusual actions against smuggled vehicles, back in February 2018, the Filipino government destroyed a lineup of 20-plus illegal luxury cars worth over a million dollar.